Method of mining coal.



H. A. KUHN.

METHOD 0F NHNING coAL.

CATION FILED Patented oct. 3,1916.

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H. A. KUHN.

METHOD OF MINING COAL.

-APPLICATION FILI-:n DEC. 9. I9I5.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

2 SHEETsf-'SIIEET 2 HARRY KUHN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD F MINING COAL.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

Application led December 9, 1915. Serial No. 65,942.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. KUHN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Mining Coal; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates toa method of mining coal. n

The obj ect of my invention is to provide a method of mining coal in which the coal instead of being shot so as to breakit up into small lumps and fine coal, is so ex-v panded as to only releasek the coal along lines of its cleavage, so that when a force is applied to undermine and dislodge the mass of coal, the force applied will act to break the coal into lumps substantially along lines of its cleavage, so that the coal can be removed in large lumps, thereby cre`- ating a great saving and, at the same time, increasing the value of the coal, which commands a higher price in large lumps than in small lumps or slack form.

rllhe invention consists, generally stated, in undercutting the wall of coal, making a cut at an angle to the undercut and extending for substantially the height of the wall, then introducing an expansive force in the coal at one side of the last-named cut, whereby the coal is lowered into the undercut and separated along lines of its cleavage, the c'ut made at an angle 'to the under'- cut permitting the coal to expand in that direction and move toward said cut, which is preferably at about the mid-point of the wall, or the shearing cut may be made at one corner or side and the whole mass of coal expanded toward it.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure' 1 is a plan view of a machine adapted for removing the coal after it" has been expanded, and for making the preliminary undercut; Fig. 2 is a cross-section ofa'mine showing the undercut, the cut at right angles thereto, and the holes for the insertion of the explosive or expansive'force; Fig. 3 is a view of the face of the coal after the coal has been expanded; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the machine for removing the coal after it has been expanded and Fig. 5 is a modified form of my invention.

The machine for making the preliminary undercut andthe cut at an angle thereto in the wall of coal may be any suitable apparatus, that illustratedv forming the subject-matter of a separate application for Letters Patent of the United States, filed by me on the 16th day of May, 1914, Serial No. 839,325, and the parts of this machine have only been illustrated diagrammatically and it will only be referred to generally.

The numeral 2 designates the frame which 4is mounted on the traction-wheels 3 connected up by suitable gearing to the motor 4. The` steering-wheel 5 is provided which is operated by the hand-wheel 6. The lever 7 is operated to operate the mech# anism for throwing the traction-,wheels 3 into and out of engagement with the driving mechanism.

The shaft 8 is driven by the motor 4, and

said shaft has the beveled pinion 9 which.

engages the beveled gear-wheel 10. The sprocket-wheel l1 is connected with the beveled-gear 10, and a chain 12 passes around said sprocket-wheel and around the sprocket-wheels 13 at the forward end of the frame. Flights 14 are carried by the chain, said flights moving along the pan 15. The iights 14 are provided with the cutters 16, which project out beyond the pan 15 at the forward end thereof.

To form the preliminary under-cut, I employ the cutter-bar 17, said cutter-bar conn nected to and driven by the motor 4. The motor 4 has its shaft 18, detachablyr connected by coupler 19 to the motor, and the cutter-bar 17 may be moved olf the frame 19"L down into the position indicated in f Fig. 1, a skid 20 being provided for the convenient movement of the motor and its platform to and from the frame 2. When the under-cutting mechanism is arranged in position indicated in Fig. '1, the customary cables 21 are employed for drawing the machine' across the wall of coal, and in this manner, the under-cut'22 is formed. When the undercut 22 has been formed in this manner, the motor and cutter-bar 17 are drawn back onto the frame 2, and an elongated shaft 23 is employed so that the cutterioo forward end of the machine is raised so that the cutter-'bar 17 cuts a rkerf 211 in the face of the coal, and at an angle to the under-cut 22. 24 as substantially vertical, 'it may be arranged at other angles with reference to the under-cut 22, and while I have illustrated it at the mid-portion of the wall of coal, this particular location need not be followed so long as the coal is sheared above the undercut.

The holesl 25 are drilled in the upper cor` ners of the wall of coal extending upwardly and outwardly, and a suitable explosive or expansive force is inserted in said openings. The coal is shot or expanded and the effect of such shooting will be to separate the coal along lines of its cleavage, and at the same time, the coal will settle down into the undercut 22. The kerf 24 also provides a chance for the coal to move from both sides toward the center, substantially filling up said kerf, as indicated in Fig. 3. The coal, however, has not been expanded so violently as to break it up into small lumps or 'fine slack, but has simply been expanded with sufficient violence to crack it along lines of its cleavage, so that Ithe adhesions between the lumps are almost entirely released, although the individual lumps will retain their `individual relations or posit-ions in the original bed of coal. In order to remove the coal, the machine is advanced up to the wall of coal and the chain 12 put in operation so that the liights 14 with the cutters 16 will advance thereto, and projecting beyond the outer end of the pan 15, will cut their way under the mass of coal, undermining, lifting, and disrupting the same so that the coal is broken into large lumps,'which are de# posited on the pan 15 and carried by the flights up said pan and discharged into the mine car 26 at the rear of the machine. As a further aid in the disrupting of the coal, the flights may be provided with the shoes l 27, which work their way in under the coal and give an undulating effect, which ruptures and breaks the coal, as set forth in an application filed by me Serial No. 839,335. rllhe front end of the machine may also be raised during this operation so as to break through any slate-bands, such as 28, which may be in the wall of coal, and whichwill be broken up by the upward force applied in this manner. In this manner, I have provided for the expanding of the coal so that it is not violently blasted into small lumps and line coal, but is simply loosened or fractured. along lines of its cleavage, so that when removed in the above manner, it is A taken outin large lumps, thereby creating a saving in the mining of the coal and commanding a higher price 1n the market.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated a modified While I have shown the kerf form of my invention in which the kerf 24 is made over toward one side-wall.

lVhat .I claim is:

1. The method of mining coal consisting in under-cutting the solid wall of coal, making a cut atan angle to said under-cut, ex-

panding and disrupting the coal along lines of its cleavage on one side of the second cut and above the under-cut, whereby it dislodges and settles down into the under-cut and moves in the direction of the second cut, subsequently under-cutting this settled mass of coal, and simultaneously lifting it with a vertical force traveling laterally in 4the plane of the irst cut to further kdisrupt the mass along the lines of its cleavage, and simultaneously therewith dislodging the mass Vof disrupted coal and conveying it awa 1.

The method of mining coal consisting in under-cutting the solid wall of coal, making a cut at an angle thereto, expanding and disrupting the coal along lines -of its cleavage on one side of the second cut and above the under-cut whereby the coal settles down into the under-cut and moves inthe ldirection of the second cut, subsequently undercutting this 1n-ass of settled coal 4along the licor .of the original under-cut, simultaneously therewith dislodging the mass of settled coal and conveying it away.

3. The method of mining coal consisting in under-cutting the Solid mass of coal, vmaking a cut at an angle to said under-cut, lex` panding and disrupting the coal along lines of its cleavage on one side of the second out and above the under-cut whereby it settles down into the under-cut and moves in the ldirection of the second cut, `subsequently unkder-mining this settled mass of coal with a force traveling laterally along the floor -of the original under-cut, and simultaneously therewith dislodging the mass of settled coal and conveying it away.

4. vrIhe method ofmining coal consisting in un-der`cutting the solid wall of coal, making a cut at an angle to said under-cut at or about the mid-portion of the massfof coal, expanding land Vdisrupting the coal along lines of its cleavage at both sides of said second cut whereby it dislodges and settles down into the under-cut and moves in the direction of said second out, subsequently under-cutting thi settled mass of coal, sand simultaneously l1 ting it with a vertical fo-rce traveling laterally in the pla-ne of the first cut to further 'disrupt the mass along opening in the expended and disrupted mess In testimony whereof, VI the said HARRY of coal, and smutaneously therevith intro- A. KUHN have hereunto set my hand. dueng into sei ast mentone o ening, conveying and dislodgng forces Worng in HARRY A' KUHN the plane of said last mentioned opening Witnesses: whereby the coal is dislodged and conveyed J oHN F. WILL, away. S. F. ARMSTRONG.

copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

